Coffee Fact Sheet #1 Origin & Travel
🌱 The Origin: The Arhuacos Community and the Seynekun Cooperative
At the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia), the indigenous Arhuacos community cultivates coffee as a spiritual and collective act.
Their coffee is produced through organic farming (origin certified, not EU certified), under shade, in a fair-trade model that reflects their autonomy and sacred vision of Earth.
➡️ 350 families cultivate coffee, cocoa, and panela (cane sugar) between 750 and 1,600 m altitude.
➡️ Each bean is hand-picked, ensuring a rigorous selection.
➡️ Families work autonomously, but daily mutual aid is at the core of their organization.
"The mountain is our mother, and coffee is her sacred fruit." — Arhuaco Producer
⛵ The Journey: Coffee Transported by Sail
From Santa Marta to La Rochelle, this coffee traveled 7,000 km across the Atlantic, carried by the trade winds.
It journeyed aboard the IDE MIN, a unique cargo sailing vessel:
- Square-rigged schooner from 1957 (40 m long).
- Loading capacity: 50 tons.
- Crew: 12 professional sailors and trainees.
Each crossing embodies decarbonized logistics and a human adventure, connecting the growers of the Sierra to connoisseurs of exceptional coffee in Europe.
"At sea, good coffee is the only luxury that stands up to the swell." — Sailor on board
🔍 A Specialty Coffee: Quality and Character
Café d’Éole from the Seynekun cooperative is distinguished by:
- Dominant aromas: floral, woody, mild bitterness.
- Altitude & terroir: cultivated between 750 and 1,600 m.
- Hand-picked harvest: selective sorting to preserve the best beans.
💡 Q-Grade: 84.5/100 (balance, clear aromas, sweetness, mouthfeel complexity)
🌍 A Sustainable and Fair Choice
- Sail transport → up to 97% emissions avoided compared to air freight.
- Short supply chain: delivery in returnable buckets = zero waste.
- Direct purchase from producers, at a price negotiated with families, above market rates.
Café d’Éole is more than a drink: it is a journey from the sacred to the sustainable, a meeting between the Colombian mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
➡️ Discover and order Café d’Éole
🎶 Bonus: A Complete Experience
👉 Discover the Café d’Éole Vol.1 playlist on Spotify: a blend of Colombian sounds, folk, and soft jazz, to accompany your tasting experience.